#Review The Guilty Wife by Elle Croft #Debut #NetGalley

Publication date 25th January 2018

Orion Publishing

320 pages

Book description:

WIFE. MISTRESS. MURDERER.

If you were being framed for murder, how far would you go to clear your name?
The debut psychological thriller that reads as Apple Tree Yard meets Behind Closed Doors, by way of Double Jeopardy.
I'm not guilty of murder.
Bethany Reston is happily married. But she's also having an affair with a famous client.
And no one can ever know.
But that doesn't make me innocent.
When Bethany's lover is brutally murdered, she has to hide her grief from everyone.
But someone knows her secret. And then one day the threats begin.
With an ever-growing pile of evidence pointing to her as the murderer, the only way she can protect her secrets is to prove her innocence. And that means tracking down a killer.

An incredibly taut, tense game of cat and mouse - with a twist you'll never see coming.

My thoughts:

Jason and Bethany Reston are happily married. So why does Bethany find herself having an affair with her client, high powered celebrity businessman Calum Bradley?

Bethany is a photographer hired to take candid photos of Calum during his everyday work, which will feature in a book which is complementing his reality TV show. Calum has a host of security staff covering his every move after an acid attack on his previous mistress left him feeling exceptionally vulnerable. The security staff turn a blind eye to the relationship which builds between Calum and Bethany which begins with business meetings regarding the book but gets far more personal over the weeks.

Then one night, Bethany decides that things are getting out of hand between them and meets him outside a tube station in London in order to end their affair.  They have a discussion and Bethany walks away from him without a backward glance.  And that is where life takes a dramatic turn for both of them.  Because this is the point Calum is stabbed to death, and someone was watching.

Shortly after the news reports hit the media Bethany starts receiving hate mail; anonymous threats and photographs arrive at her home - but how are the envelopes being delivered into her home?  Does Jason know what has been going on? Is it a stalker who has gained access to her home?  Do the security staff hold a grudge against Calum and are now shifting the blame to Bethany? In sheer desperation Bethany turns to her friend Alex who is a lawyer for advice.

The story follows Bethany's life as she gets deeper into trouble and finally comes to the police's attention.  The author cleverly builds tension throughout the story but nothing prepared me for the final reveal.  There are red herrings everywhere and I defy anyone to not fall into at least one of the many traps which the author sets for us. This is an absolutely brilliant and scarily credible plot which had me turning pages at an increasing pace as I went along.

I will definitely be looking out for this author's future work - she will have to go some to ever improve on this exceptionally strong debut novel. Somehow though, I think she will succeed. 

About the author:

Elle Croft was born in South Africa, grew up in Australia and moved to the UK in 2010 after travelling around the world with her husband. She works as a freelance social media specialist and also blogs about travel, food and life in London. The Guilty Wife is her debut novel.

#Book #Review Million Love Songs by Carole Matthews #NetGalley #MillionLoveSongs

Publication date 4th January 2018 (kindle), paperback 22nd March 2018

I received an advance copy of this title via NetGalley from publisher Little,Brown Book Group UK (Sphere)

Book description:

After splitting up with her cheating ex-husband, Ruby Brown is ready for a change. She's single again for the first time in years and she's going to dive into this brave new world with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. The last thing she's looking for is another serious relationship.

Mason Soames represents everything Ruby wants right now: he's charming, handsome, and perfect for some no-strings-attached fun, and yet Ruby can't help feel that something is missing. Joe Edwards on the other hand is also lovely and handsome but he comes with the sort of baggage Ruby wants to avoid: an annoyingly attractive ex-wife and two teenage children.

Ruby soon has some very tough decisions to make. Is she ready for a relationship of any kind, and what type of life does she really want? Because while Ruby may think she knows what she wants, is that what she needs to be truly happy?

Feel-good, wonderful and an absolute must-read from the queen of romance Carole Matthews, Ruby's story will make you laugh, cry and leave you wanting more. It's about to get emotional in Million Love Songs.

My thoughts:
Ruby Brown. After her husband leaves her for another woman, Ruby decides to give her life a good shake up, gives up her boring office job and go in search of a shiny new exciting life. Hence we find her working as a waitress in her local pub/restaurant and signed up for a course of scuba diving lessons. Maybe not quite as spectacular as her husband's new partner who sports a sparkly vajayjay (in Matthews' own words, might I add) but it's a start.   Ruby's new best friend is colleague Charlie who is resolutely single, awaiting the attentions of none other than Take That band member Gary Barlow.
Ruby soon draws the (unwanted) attention of pub manager and renowned womaniser Mason Soames and while Ruby is determined not to be drawn into another relationship just yet -especially with someone with Mason's reputation - she can't seem to say no to spending time with him.  In an attempt to distract herself Ruby throws herself into her new found hobby of scuba diving only to find her body reacting in unwanted ways to sexy instructor Joe.
Matthews relates Ruby's exploits with her customary brand of humour as the spurned 30-something tries to work out exactly what she wants out of life - an exciting, rollercoaster social life with no responsibilities or a quieter life which offers more security. As I was reading I pictured Mason Soames as a similar type of character as that played by Hugh Grant in the Bridget Jones movies with Joe taking up the role of more a staid Colin Firth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with its comedy moments and more serious sections and I think it is fair to say that this is bound to be yet another big success for Carole.

About the author:

Carole Matthews is an international bestselling author of hugely successful romantic comedy novels. Her unique sense of humour has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world.

A Minor Indiscretion and A Compromising Position both reached the Top 5 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart in the UK. You Drive Me Crazy reached number 8 in the original fiction charts. The novel Welcome To The Real World was shortlisted for RNA romantic novel of the year 2007.

In 2006 Carole co-edited - with writer Sarah Mlynowski - two new editions of the hugely popular Girls' Night In charity series called Girls' Night Out - one for the USA and one for Canada. All proceeds go to War Child.

Carole has presented on television and is a regular radio guest. When she’s not writing novels, television or film scripts she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes which is near London, England.

#BlogTour #The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd #QandA

Following on from my review post earlier this week I am excited to have been offered a place on the blog tour for Amy Lloyd's debut novel The Innocent Wife which was released at the end of December.  I was invited to pose a few questions to one of the newest authors on the block - an opportunity which I couldn't possibly let pass by.

First of all, let us re-cap the book description:

A young schoolteacher falls for a man on Death Row whom she believes is falsely accused, only to begin wondering after their marriage – and his release.Twenty years ago Dennis Danson was arrested for the brutal murder of Holly Michaels in Florida’s Red River County. Now he’s the subject of a Making a Murderer-style true crime documentary that’s taking the world by storm – the filmmakers are whipping up a frenzy of coverage to uncover the truth and free the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice.

Samantha may be thousands of miles away in Britain, but she is as invested in Dennis’s case as any of his lawyers. Perhaps even more so, as her letters to the convicted killer grow ever more intimate. Soon she is leaving her life behind to marry Danson and campaign, as his wife, for his release.

But when the campaign is successful, and Dennis is freed, events begin to suggest that he may not be so innocent after all. How many girls went missing in Red River, and what does Dennis really know? 

Q and A

1)      The Innocent Wife is based around quite an emotive subject. Were you at all concerned how the subject matter would be received by readers?

 I think fiction is supposed to make us feel things we wouldn’t normally feel. It isn’t there to reflect back at us our own view of the world or to act as a moral compass. I read to experience things outside of my own existence and I enjoy being challenged by difficult characters or awful situations.

The Innocent Wife is entirely fictional and so I wasn’t worried about how it might make people feel, I just hoped that they would be gripped and they would be absorbed by it. If I worried about how other people felt about what I’m writing I don’t think I could do it! Because inevitably there will be people who feel very negatively about it. I guess that if people have any strong feelings about the book then I’ve done my job. It’s indifference that would make me feel like I failed.

2)      How did you go about researching the wives of Death Row prisoners? Are people like Samantha keen to discuss their own personal experiences? 

 I watch a lot of documentaries about Death Row and women who marry men on Death Row. From watching these it became obvious that there was no ‘one’ type of woman who marries a Death Row inmate. It could be anyone, with any background, from the lonely women who seem a little damaged to the women who are successful and confident who believe passionately that the man they love is innocent.

I was really interested about the women who surrounded serial killer Ted Bundy. Alongside Carole Ann Boone who married him during his trial in 1979 (literally during his trial – Google it) there was a constant supply of pretty young women who came to watch him defend himself in court, giggling and blushing as he turned to grin at them. What’s so fascinating is that these women seemed attracted to him because he was dangerous, rather than in spite of it. They wanted the thrill of being close to a man who killed women, while remaining safe enough in the secure environment of the courtroom.

That is the type of woman I envisioned Sam being. I liken it to the thrill of shark diving inside a cage. Take the cage away and suddenly it’s not so fun any more…

3)      Which character did you enjoy writing the most?

 Dennis. Without a doubt. I just couldn’t wait to get him out of prison so I could play with him some more! A big part of this is because it was very fun to write him being a fish-out-of-water, learning new terminology and being generally awkward. He also scared me a lot and that was exciting. Dennis really got inside my head! It was a relief to not write him anymore by the time I was finished but during the first few drafts it was great fun to write someone so emotionless and selfish.

4)      As a published author, are you an avid reader yourself?  If so, which are your preferred genres/authors?

 I love reading and I buy WAY too many books! I think my favourite writers of all time are Bret Easton Ellis and Donna Tartt. I do love a good thriller (obviously) and I love Megan Abbott. I’m so excited about the thrillers coming out this year! I really enjoyed The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor and The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton and I’m super excited for The Tall Man by Phoebe Locke and Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough.

5)      Has it been a long-held desire to be a published author or did the idea for the book come in a flash of inspiration? 

I’ve never wanted to be anything except a writer but until The Innocent Wife I really didn’t have any ideas that seemed novel-worthy. I did a degree in Creative Writing and I wrote a lot of short stories and personal essays but I just couldn’t think of anything that would be a good novel. One day I got the idea for The Innocent Wife and the idea wouldn’t go away. I really wanted to read that book and I realized that the only way to read it would be if I wrote it. I wrote around my work hours and eventually I had pretty much a whole novel. I think, rather than the desire to be a published author, I had a long-held desire to write a book I was proud of. The fact it got published and the success it’s having is all second to that. I’m just happy I actually finished it.

6)      Are you a writer who needs a quiet environment to write or do work better in a bustling coffee shop or such like, people watching as you work? 

I prefer to write in coffee shops, for sure. Partly it’s because I lure myself there with the promise of cake (I put on so much weight writing the first book that I was sure I’d be weighing myself on equipment borrowed from a zoo by book five…) and partly because there are fewer temptations. If I stay in the house I will eventually convince myself that watching two hours of Nathan For You is pretty much the same as writing so long as I’m worrying about writing at the same time. So if I get myself up and out I have to get on with it because there’s nothing else to do.

7)      Can we look forward to seeing more from Amy Lloyd soon?

I’m writing my second book now and let me tell you it is TOUGH! Wow. I haven’t known pressure like it before. But I am also super proud of what I’ve written and I can’t wait for people to read it in early 2019.

I would like to thank Amy for featuring on the blog and taking the time to answer my questions today.  I will definitely be looking out for book two - I'm sure it will have me on the edge of my seat once again! My thanks also to Anne Cater, tour organiser, and Random House UK publishers for the advance copy of the book via NetGalley.

 Follow the rest of the tour:

#BlogTour #TheConfession by Jo Spain #Book #Review

Publication date 25 January 2018

Quercus Books

I am delighted to be playing host to the Blog Tour stop today for Jo Spain's brilliant thriller The Confession. Many thanks to Anne Cater and Quercus Books for the invitation to be part of this exciting event.  I received a advance e-copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Everything about this book screamed "READ ME!" from the cover graphics to the synopsis, and I certainly wasn't disappointed once I started reading.


WHAT IF THE CONFESSION WAS JUST THE BEGINNING...?
FIND OUT WHO DID IT ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE. ON THE LAST PAGE, FIND OUT WHY.

THE MOST GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER OF 2018: PERFECT FOR FANS OF HE SAID, SHE SAID AND THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

Late one night a man walks into the luxurious home of disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie. The man launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as a horror-struck Julie watches, frozen by fear.

Just an hour later the attacker, JP Carney, has handed himself in to the police. He confesses to beating Harry to death, but JP claims that the assault was not premeditated and that he didn't know the identity of his victim. With a man as notorious as Harry McNamara, the detectives cannot help wondering, was this really a random act of violence or is it linked to one of Harry's many sins: corruption, greed, betrayal?

This gripping psychological thriller will have you questioning, who - of Harry, Julie and JP - is really the guilty one? And is Carney's surrender driven by a guilty conscience or is his confession a calculated move in a deadly game?

My review:

"It's the first spray of my husband's blood hitting the television screen that will haunt me in the weeks to come - a perfect diagonal splash, each droplet descending like a vivid red tear.  That, and the sound of his skull cracking as the blows from the golf club rain down."

I don't think I have read a more attention-grabbing opening to a book - ever! We are thrown straight in to the plotline, gruesome and shocking as it is.  We know who the perpetrator of the crime is, we know the victim's name. But what we don't know is why the crime happened at all.

The story then rewinds to when the victim Harry McNamara met his wife, Julie. Told from various points of view throughout the book we find out how Harry becomes a very wealthy businessman and the effects that his money has on his and Julie's lifestyle and relationship. Set predominantly during the 1990s boom to bust years we are given a taste of the circles the McNamaras move in, and they type of people they mix with - not all of them above board - and once the crash comes Harry and his cronies find themselves centre of a major fraud investigation.

Running alongside this we have the story of JP Carney, the man who immediately confesses to killing Harry.  Starting in his childhood years we see a deprived family, mum is bi-polar and is regularly hospitalized leaving dad Seamie to bring up John Paul and his younger sister Charlene. He has a weakness for the demon drink and ends up in no fit state to look after the children. Their lifestyle couldn't be further from that of the McNamara's, but JP feels a strong sense of responsibility for making sure Charlene has a decent education & upbringing in order to give them a chance to get out of the poverty they have both grown up with. They have a very close sibling bond which only gets stronger as they grow up.We clearly know that the two families lives cross over at some point but it isn't clear for a good three quarters of the book how they come to feature so significantly that JP feels the need to end Harry's life. 

The author's interweaving of those threads is brilliantly written, with events leading your thoughts about the various characters first one way then another as each section of the tale is related from a different individual's point of view. Why did JP feel the need to act so violently? How much is Julie involved? Is JP merely a paid hitman? There is one revelation after another in the build up to the final chapter and I felt emotionally drained as I closed the book.

About the Author: Jo Spain

Jo Spain's first novel With Our Blessing was one of seven books shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and went on to be a top-ten bestseller in Ireland.  She has written two further in the series featuring DI Tom Reynolds.  Jo has worked as a party advisor on the economy in the Irish Parliament and is now writing full-time.  She lives in Dublin with her husband and their four young children.

#Book #Review This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan

Publication date: 25th January 2018

Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven Books

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Book Description:

'Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She's top drawer' Ian Rankin

This is how it begins.

With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers.

With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly.

With a body hidden in a lift shaft.

But how will it end?

My review:

Set in the world of political activists and protests, we meet Ella Riordan who is the daughter of a former top policeman.  She has rebelled against the establishment after dropping out of police training school due to a case of bullying.  As part of a book launch Ella and her friend Molly hold a party at which events take a disastrous turn for the two girls and they end up hiding a body.
The story flicks back over events from earlier in the women's lives, giving us an insight into how their lives have become so entwined over recent times. Molly has been deep into the campaigning scene, having been active at such high profile events as the Greenham Common peace campaign and with Ella's more recent involvement in these type of events Molly has introduced her to some dangerous characters.
Who was the man whose body they hid? Why had he turned up at the launch without an invitation? The two women begin to mistrust each other, each worrying that the other will let slip their secret once the man is found. Once the story reaches this point the pace of the tale ramps up with new facts about each of the women coming thick and fast which make for a gripping climax.
Very well plotted and paced, my only problem with this book was that I would really have loved to have sat and read it in one or two sittings due to the way the tensions build as the facts spill out and I felt I lost some of the momentum each time I had to put the book down to do real life stuff (damn that day job!!).
Great characters and a nicely layered plot, I would definitely recommend this; some good discussion points for a book club read too.

About the author:

Eva Dolan was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger for unpublished authors when only a teenager. The four novels in her Zigic and Ferreira series have been published to widespread critical acclaim: Tell No Tales and After You Die were shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award and After You Die was also longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. She lives in Cambridge.

#Book #Review: The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd #NetGalley #TheInnocentWife

Publication date 28 December 2017

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK Cornerstone in exchange for an honest review

Book description:

A young schoolteacher falls for a man on Death Row whom she believes is falsely accused, only to begin wondering after their marriage – and his release.

Twenty years ago Dennis Danson was arrested for the brutal murder of Holly Michaels in Florida’s Red River County. Now he’s the subject of a Making a Murderer-style true crime documentary that’s taking the world by storm – the filmmakers are whipping up a frenzy of coverage to uncover the truth and free the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice.
Samantha may be thousands of miles away in Britain, but she is as invested in Dennis’s case as any of his lawyers. Perhaps even more so, as her letters to the convicted killer grow ever more intimate. Soon she is leaving her life behind to marry Danson and campaign, as his wife, for his release.
But when the campaign is successful, and Dennis is freed, events begin to suggest that he may not be so innocent after all. How many girls went missing in Red River, and what does Dennis really know?

My review:

Despite the content of this book, I found it a straightforward compelling read.  What makes seemingly ordinary women want to contact a prisoner on Death Row?
Samantha is a young school teacher from England who has recently become single.  She finds online details of Dennis Danson a man who was sentenced to the death penalty at the age of 18 for the abduction and murder of an 11 year old girl in America. He is subject of a documentary and campaign to free him as there is a strong group of followers who believe him to be innocent and the victim of a local hate campaign by locals and the police. We follow the progression of Samantha and Dennis's relationship via letters they sent each other - the early format of the book I found quite difficult to settle in to as a lot of it is the transcripts of their letters and sections of crime reports and books written about the case. It isn't long before Samantha has booked a flight over to meet him in prison and he soon proposes marriage.
Then suddenly there is a breakthrough and Samantha finds herself in a whole new scenario as Dennis's wife when he is released.  She has doubts about his feelings for her and indeed whether he really is innocent.  The reader is party to all her thought processes and reasoning and the tension builds quite spectacularly through the second half of the book.  Old grudges and suspicions come to the fore and people from Dennis's past return to have their say, leading Samantha to realise just how little she really knows about her husband. I hate to use the time-honoured phrase that I didn't want to put this book down, but especially towards the end of the book I couldn't read fast enough to find out what had actually happened all those years before and what that meant for Samantha and Dennis' relationship.
A great read that will have the hairs on the back of your neck prickling.

About the author:

Amy Lloyd won the Daily Mail and Penguin Random House First Novel competition in 2016 with her thriller 'The Innocent Wife'.

#Book #Review Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman #DEBUT NOVEL

Publication date 18 May 2017

Harper Collins

**COSTA FIRST NOVEL BOOK AWARD WINNER**

Book description:

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?

My review:

Eleanor Oliphant has been added to my list of characters who have made their mark on me. She is amazing, but very misunderstood.  At the beginning of the book she is a creature of habit who is an extreme introvert, lets nobody in and is very judgmental of how others conduct themselves.  She has a regular job as a finance clerk in a graphic design office but rarely mixes with her colleagues outside work. She knows what she likes and rarely deviates from it. The cryptic crossword in the daily paper is her biggest challenge and she enjoys a tot of vodka in the privacy of her own home. But while we are presented with this rather eccentric, extremely private individual we can tell there is far more to Eleanor than she is letting on.  Things begin to change when she and Raymond the IT tech guy from her office come to the aid of and elderly man who has fallen in the street and requires medical help.  She is forced into situations she would normally steer away from, both emotionally and socially, and eventually finds that she rather likes the idea of having Raymond as a friend.
Life takes a disturbing turn for Eleanor however when she decides that she needs to become more "normal"  in order to catch the attention of a rather attractive singer.  After a promising start her plan goes awry in rather spectacular fashion and she ends up having to confront her demons.
Little by little Eleanor opens up and begins to understand a lot more about herself which she had buried in the depths of her mind in order to protect herself throughout her adolescent years, and as a reader we discover what has made her who she is.  There is a fairly small cast of characters but each of them has an important role in the telling of our leading lady's life, whether she realises it or not.
I loved Eleanor and her quirks from the first page to the last and would love to read more about her life.  Please let there be a sequel!!

About the Author:

Gail Honeyman wrote her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, while working a full-time job, and it was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize as a work in progress. She has also been awarded the Scottish Book Trust's Next Chapter Award 2014, was longlisted for BBC Radio 4's Opening Lines, and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. She lives in Glasgow.

#Book #Review #novella: The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise

Published 31st October 2017

Book description:
After five years of dating Lisa is anticipating that all-important question, will you marry me?

Impatient, Lisa decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to Matt, after all it is the 21st Century.

Only she takes it one step further and with the help of her best friend Mandy, she prepares the ultimate proposal.

What she doesn’t know is whether this will be the beginning of her happily-ever- after or the beginning of the end.

My thoughts: I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of short stories as I find they often lack sufficient detail that a longer novel contains.  This however has blown my theory clean out of the water.  For the idea of the book it perfectly suited the shorter format.

Lisa is expecting, after 5 year long relationship with boyfriend Matt, that when he announces he is taking her out for a slap up meal at a posh venue he will obviously be planning to propose.  She shares her expectations with her work colleagues and on returning to work the following day Lisa has to admit to best friend Mandy that she got it all wrong and she is still waiting for the magical moment to happen. Until Mandy unwittingly plants the seed of an idea in Lisa's head...

The humour is well written into Lisa's ensuing plan to become Matt's forever Mrs Right. I didn't know whether to get on board with her plan or cringe with embarrassment on her behalf should Matt decide not to be part of her plans.  

No spoilers here, but I strongly recommend this book if you want a quick, funny read.  As I say, not my usual format but a huge hit with me.

Website https://www.rebekahlouiseauthor.co.uk/ Twitter RebekahBe4

#Book #Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris #NetGalley **DEBUT NOVEL**

Publication date 11th January 2018

I received an advance copy of this e-book via NetGalley from the publisher Bonnier Zaffre

in exchange for an honest review

Book description:
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught, he would have been killed; many owed him their survival.

There have been many books about the Holocaust - and there will be many more. What makes this one so memorable is Lale Sokolov's incredible zest for life. He understood exactly what was in store for him and his fellow prisoners, and he was determined to survive - not just to survive but to leave the camp with his dignity and integrity intact, to live his life to the full. Terrible though this story is, it is also a story of hope and of courage. It is also - almost unbelievably - a love story. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight, and he determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. His story - their story - will make you weep, but you will also find it uplifting. It shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

Like many survivors, Lale and Gita told few people their story after the war. They eventually made their way to Australia, where they raised a son and had a successful life. But when Gita died, Lale felt he could no longer carry the burden of their past alone. He chose to tell his story.

My thoughts: 

I have to admit this book is one of those which is difficult to review because the author has written it so beautifully I don't want to take anything away from that achievement.  Many books have been written about Auschwitz and the atrocities which happened there, yet this is a book which understands that enough has been said on the awful events and speaks predominantly of the acts of human kindness which happened there instead. 

The author has captured Lale's personality and his voice in the telling of his story of how he met and fell in love with Gita.  It is the ultimate tale of love conquering all - and there were so many times during Lale and Gita's imprisonment when either one of them could easily have given in to the hardships they encountered.  The risks that the prisoners took in order to help one another make for scary reading, and on more than one occasion I was worried that they would be discovered and become yet another statistic of the war machine.

The respectful relationship which the author and Lale clearly built up during the writing of this book shines through on every page. To say I enjoyed this book seems so wrong considering its content yet I am so glad Lale felt able to share his experiences with the world. As Lale himself stressed the world cannot allow such horrifying events to ever happen again.

From the author:

I am a Native of New Zealand now resident in Australia, working in a large public hospital in Melbourne. For several years I studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an academy award winning Screenwriter in the U.S. In 2003, I was introduced to an elderly gentleman "who might just have a story worth telling". The day I met Lale Sokolov changed my life, as our friendship grew and he embarked on a journey of self scrutiny, entrusting the inner most details of his life during the Holocaust. I originally wrote Lale's story as a screenplay - which ranked high in international competitions - before reshaping it into my debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.